Journey beyond the Solar System to explore exoplanets, distant stars, and the search for new worlds. From planets orbiting faraway suns to potentially habitable worlds light-years from Earth, discover how astronomers are uncovering new corners of the universe.
This Kahoot explores the science of exoplanet discovery, space exploration, and the technologies that allow us to detect and study worlds we cannot directly see while revealing how each new discovery expands our understanding of the cosmos.
Watch the related videos linked below, then take the Kahoot and see how much you know about the incredible worlds waiting to be discovered beyond our Solar System.
Ever wanted to hop onto a fluffy cloud? Catch a falling star? Bottle sunshine? Well, you can’t. But what you can do is hold some of the Moon in your hand… if you’re one of the few qualified scientists who are researching new lunar material. Sharing is caring, but these researchers have a great reason for being very precious with moon dust.
Moon dust is some of the rarest material on the planet and, for the first time, China has shared its samples of moon dust internationally. These samples have now racked up some serious frequent flyer miles, traveling across the globe after being taken all the way from the Moon. Talk about jet lag. Until now, scientists have been using samples collected decades ago. It wasn’t until 2020 that China’s spacecraft went to an unexplored spot of the Moon, then returned with 2 kilograms of moon rock. This dust is now being studied, and researchers are working carefully (VERY carefully) to uncover the evidence it has to offer about our universe’s environmental history.
From the scorching surface of Mercury to the icy winds of Neptune, this BBC Learning Hub playlist takes you on an awe-inspiring voyage across our celestial neighborhood. Explore the mysteries of alien worlds, witness dramatic planetary weather, uncover the origins of Saturn’s rings, and ponder life on Mars. Whether you're a curious stargazer or a space science enthusiast, these video clips from landmark BBC series like The Planets and Wonders of the Solar System will ignite learner's imagination and deepen your cosmic curiosity.
In The Origin of Saturn’s Intricate Rings, Professor Brian Cox visits the control center for Cassini, the spacecraft launched in 1997 that orbits Saturn. Cassini’s mission is to photograph Saturn’s rings and shed light on the origin story of the rings. Saturn behaves like a miniature Solar System with Saturn as sun, and moons that surround the rings, providing us the opportunity to learn about our own origin after the planets formed. This video is excerpted from BBC's Wonders of the Solar System, a spellbinding documentary series that explores the most extreme locations on Earth to explain how the laws of physics carved natural wonders across the Solar System.
The article "Does Our Solar System Have a Protective Wall?" from BBC's Science Focus explains the concept of the "heliopause," the boundary where the solar wind from the Sun meets the interstellar medium. This boundary, sometimes described as a "wall," plays a crucial role in protecting Earth from harmful cosmic rays.
The article "Top 10 Heaviest Spacecraft Ever Launched" from BBC's Science Focus examines the most massive spacecraft to have flown in Earth's orbit and beyond.
The article "Water found buried under Mars equator" from BBC's Science Focus showcases the discovery of ice beneath Mars' equator using data from ESA's Mars Express spacecraft. This finding could be crucial for future human missions to Mars, as the ice deposits could provide a valuable water source.
In Traveling at the Speed of Light, narrator Kate Yule describes how Einstein's theory could allow humans to explore the cosmos, but to do so would involve traveling at the speed of light. Learn about Stephen Hawking’s Breakthrough Starshot, which aimed to develop a spaceship that could do just that. Zac Manchester from Stanford University has continued these efforts and developed sprites, which are tiny spacecraft that travel at a speed of 20% of the speed of light. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Einstein & Hawking: Masters of Our Universe, a mind-bending documentary that tells the story of how the two most famous scientists of the 20th Century transformed our understanding of the Universe and changed the world.
In Exploring Mars, Professor Brian Cox describes the various spacecraft that have landed on Mars and what we have learned from each. Learn how each Mars exploration project yielded more information about the Red Planet, and what the roving laboratory, Curiosity, helped scientists learn about Mars that other spacecraft had not. This video is excerpted from BBC’s The Planets, a series that explores the dramatic lives of the eight planets in our Solar System.
In Challenges and Triumphs of Reaching the Red Planet, Dr. Adam Steltzner and his team work to solve the challenges of landing spacecraft on Mars, especially when dealing with heavier crewed flights. Learn how innovative approaches, such as using retropropulsion and landing sideways, may address these issues. This video is excerpted from BBC’s The Big Thinkers, Should We Go to Mars?, where Dr. Kevin Fong explores the complex scientific and technological hurdles of space exploration.
In The Grand Tour of Voyager 1, Professor Brian Cox discusses how the Voyager 1 spacecraft, launched in 1977, continues to send signals back to Earth from its journey to the outer reaches of our Solar System. Learn about the groundbreaking space exploration efforts of the Voyager missions, especially its role in mapping the solar wind’s reach and helping scientists understand the auroras occurring on distant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. Using images from the Hubble Space Telescope and data from Voyager 1, scientists are unraveling the mysteries of the Solar System's farthest edges.
Journey beyond the Solar System to explore exoplanets, distant stars, and the search for new worlds. From planets orbiting faraway suns to potentially habitable worlds light-years from Earth, discover how astronomers are uncovering new corners of the universe.
This Kahoot explores the science of exoplanet discovery, space exploration, and the technologies that allow us to detect and study worlds we cannot directly see while revealing how each new discovery expands our understanding of the cosmos.
Watch the related videos linked below, then take the Kahoot and see how much you know about the incredible worlds waiting to be discovered beyond our Solar System.
Ever wanted to hop onto a fluffy cloud? Catch a falling star? Bottle sunshine? Well, you can’t. But what you can do is hold some of the Moon in your hand… if you’re one of the few qualified scientists who are researching new lunar material. Sharing is caring, but these researchers have a great reason for being very precious with moon dust.
Moon dust is some of the rarest material on the planet and, for the first time, China has shared its samples of moon dust internationally. These samples have now racked up some serious frequent flyer miles, traveling across the globe after being taken all the way from the Moon. Talk about jet lag. Until now, scientists have been using samples collected decades ago. It wasn’t until 2020 that China’s spacecraft went to an unexplored spot of the Moon, then returned with 2 kilograms of moon rock. This dust is now being studied, and researchers are working carefully (VERY carefully) to uncover the evidence it has to offer about our universe’s environmental history.
From the scorching surface of Mercury to the icy winds of Neptune, this BBC Learning Hub playlist takes you on an awe-inspiring voyage across our celestial neighborhood. Explore the mysteries of alien worlds, witness dramatic planetary weather, uncover the origins of Saturn’s rings, and ponder life on Mars. Whether you're a curious stargazer or a space science enthusiast, these video clips from landmark BBC series like The Planets and Wonders of the Solar System will ignite learner's imagination and deepen your cosmic curiosity.
In The Origin of Saturn’s Intricate Rings, Professor Brian Cox visits the control center for Cassini, the spacecraft launched in 1997 that orbits Saturn. Cassini’s mission is to photograph Saturn’s rings and shed light on the origin story of the rings. Saturn behaves like a miniature Solar System with Saturn as sun, and moons that surround the rings, providing us the opportunity to learn about our own origin after the planets formed. This video is excerpted from BBC's Wonders of the Solar System, a spellbinding documentary series that explores the most extreme locations on Earth to explain how the laws of physics carved natural wonders across the Solar System.
The article "Does Our Solar System Have a Protective Wall?" from BBC's Science Focus explains the concept of the "heliopause," the boundary where the solar wind from the Sun meets the interstellar medium. This boundary, sometimes described as a "wall," plays a crucial role in protecting Earth from harmful cosmic rays.
The article "Top 10 Heaviest Spacecraft Ever Launched" from BBC's Science Focus examines the most massive spacecraft to have flown in Earth's orbit and beyond.
The article "Water found buried under Mars equator" from BBC's Science Focus showcases the discovery of ice beneath Mars' equator using data from ESA's Mars Express spacecraft. This finding could be crucial for future human missions to Mars, as the ice deposits could provide a valuable water source.
In Traveling at the Speed of Light, narrator Kate Yule describes how Einstein's theory could allow humans to explore the cosmos, but to do so would involve traveling at the speed of light. Learn about Stephen Hawking’s Breakthrough Starshot, which aimed to develop a spaceship that could do just that. Zac Manchester from Stanford University has continued these efforts and developed sprites, which are tiny spacecraft that travel at a speed of 20% of the speed of light. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Einstein & Hawking: Masters of Our Universe, a mind-bending documentary that tells the story of how the two most famous scientists of the 20th Century transformed our understanding of the Universe and changed the world.
In Exploring Mars, Professor Brian Cox describes the various spacecraft that have landed on Mars and what we have learned from each. Learn how each Mars exploration project yielded more information about the Red Planet, and what the roving laboratory, Curiosity, helped scientists learn about Mars that other spacecraft had not. This video is excerpted from BBC’s The Planets, a series that explores the dramatic lives of the eight planets in our Solar System.
In Challenges and Triumphs of Reaching the Red Planet, Dr. Adam Steltzner and his team work to solve the challenges of landing spacecraft on Mars, especially when dealing with heavier crewed flights. Learn how innovative approaches, such as using retropropulsion and landing sideways, may address these issues. This video is excerpted from BBC’s The Big Thinkers, Should We Go to Mars?, where Dr. Kevin Fong explores the complex scientific and technological hurdles of space exploration.
In The Grand Tour of Voyager 1, Professor Brian Cox discusses how the Voyager 1 spacecraft, launched in 1977, continues to send signals back to Earth from its journey to the outer reaches of our Solar System. Learn about the groundbreaking space exploration efforts of the Voyager missions, especially its role in mapping the solar wind’s reach and helping scientists understand the auroras occurring on distant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. Using images from the Hubble Space Telescope and data from Voyager 1, scientists are unraveling the mysteries of the Solar System's farthest edges.